It is well-known to provide physical coupons that can be exchanged for a financial discount or rebate when purchasing a product. Coupons may be issued, for example, by manufacturers of consumer-packaged goods or by retailers, to be presented in stores when making a purchase. They can be distributed through mail, in publications, over the Internet, in a brick and mortar store, and/or over mobile devices such as cellular telephones.
Groupon, Inc. of Chicago, Ill. operates the GROUPON® web site which features discounted gift certificates usable at local or national companies. LivingSocial Inc. of Washington, D.C. operates the LIVINGSOCIAL® web site which features discounted gift certificates usable at local or national companies.